LONDON — Foreign Minister Antony Blinken arrived in Kiev on Wednesday morning as Ukrainian leaders pushed for US permission to use American-made long-range weapons against targets inside. Russia.
America’s top diplomat was accompanied by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The pair are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and “senior Ukrainian government officials,” according to a State Department statement.
Blinken will “discuss continued support for Ukraines defense against Russian aggression and how to ensure that Ukraine can thrive militarily, economically and democratically in the long term,” it added.
Restrictions on Ukraine’s use of US long-range weapons is one of the most pressing issues for Blinken during the visit.
Kiev has long advocated for US permission to strike military targets inside Russian borders, including airfields that are key to Moscow’s long-range missile campaign against Ukrainian cities.
“We continue to convince our partners at all levels about long-distance capabilities,” Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram channel on Sunday.
“Russia can avoid seeking peace only as much as the world avoids making strong decisions aimed at Russia’s defeat. Long-range capability is one of those important, strategic decisions.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday that he expects the United States to give its permission.
“Most likely, of course, all these decisions have already been taken,” he said, as quoted by the state-run Tass agency.
Blinken is scheduled to hold a press conference at 12 PM ET.
ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.